BBC seeks subpoenas for Trump family members in Panorama lawsuit
The BBC has apologised for the edit but denied that it amounted to defamation.
The BBC has asked a US court for permission to subpoena members of US President Donald Trump's family for documents and testimony as it defends against his $10 billion defamation lawsuit over a Panorama programme.
Court filings show that the broadcaster's legal team attempted in May to serve subpoenas on Trump's son Donald Trump Jr, daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner, reports the BBC.
The BBC's lawyers argue that the three have "personal knowledge" of Trump's intentions when he delivered the speech at the centre of the lawsuit.
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The filing says Donald Trump Jr and Ivanka Trump were present when their father revised and delivered the speech, while Kushner drafted a proposed statement condemning violence.
Trump is suing the BBC over a 2024 Panorama episode that edited together two separate portions of a speech he delivered before the 6 January 2021 Capitol riot.
The BBC has apologised for the edit but denied that it amounted to defamation.
The BBC's latest court filing asks for permission to serve the subpoenas by email and certified mail after attempts to deliver them personally were unsuccessful.
According to the filing, a BBC legal representative attempted to serve subpoenas on Ivanka Trump and Kushner at their Florida home but was refused entry at a police checkpoint. The representative was later told by the US Secret Service that it could not accept the documents.
A separate attempt to serve Donald Trump Jr at Trump Tower in New York also failed. The representative was reportedly told that the person who normally accepted such documents was unavailable, while a subsequent attempt was unsuccessful because the building's legal department was not available.
Trump's legal team has been approached for comment, while the BBC press office declined to comment.
What happened
Trump filed the lawsuit in Florida last December against the BBC and its subsidiaries BBC Studios Productions and BBC Studios Distribution. He accused the broadcaster of "intentionally, maliciously and deceptively doctoring" his speech.
The BBC has acknowledged that the editing created a mistaken impression that Trump had directly called for violent action.
However, it has asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that the programme did not meet the legal requirements for defamation and was not made available on its US platforms.
Trump's lawyers have also acknowledged that they have no evidence that the documentary was available in the US through BritBox, BBC.com, BBC Select or US broadcasters, as previously claimed.
Trump recently agreed to drop BBC Studios from the lawsuit after the broadcaster argued that the company had no role in creating or producing the documentary.
Earlier this month, the judge granted Trump's request to delay handing over financial records sought by the BBC. The broadcaster had requested the records in connection with Trump's claim that the programme harmed his business interests.
A trial is scheduled for February 2027 if the case proceeds.
